It is well-known that the broad class of refrigerants presently used in refrigeration units known in the art, particularly those which consist of chlorofluorocarbons (CFC), can have a deleterious effect on the earth's ozone layer. One of the major sources of exposure of the atmosphere to such CFC's occurs during the servicing of such refrigeration units, when the refrigerant contained within the refrigeration unit is typically vented into the atmosphere when such units are disassembled for service. When repairs have been completed, such refrigeration units must then be recharged with fresh refrigerant, resulting in increased service costs.
Attempts have been made in the art to avoid wasting the refrigerant contained within the refrigeration unit by capturing that refrigerant, filtering and reclaiming it, and subsequently either storing the reclaimed refrigerant or reintroducing it into the refrigeration unit for further use. Examples of such systems include U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,110,998; 4,261,178; 4,285,206; 4,304,102; 4,363,222; 4,364,236; 4,441,330; 4,476,688, 4,480,446; 4,539,817; 4,554,792; 4,646,527; 4,688,388; 4,766,733; 4,768,347; 4,805,416; 4,809,515; 4,809,520; 4,856,289; 4,856,290; 4,862,699; 4,887,435; 4,903,499 and 4,909,042.
The refrigerant recycling and reclaiming systems of the prior art share the limitation of operating at substantial temperatures and pressures which, in turn, dictates the need for large horsepower compressors capable of working with the elevated pressures. These larger horsepower compressors, in turn, have higher operating costs and cause such systems to be larger and less portable than would otherwise be necessary. Thus, a need has arisen in the art for refrigerant recycling and reclaiming systems capable of operating at lower temperatures and pressures, utilizing lower horsepower compressors with the advantages attendant thereto.
It is an object of the present invention to allow compressors of different sizes to be used depending on the properties of the system being serviced. It is a further object of the present invention to remove oil and moisture from the refrigerant being reclaimed. It is a further object of the present invention to improve cleansing of the refrigerant being recycled by providing filter dryers on both the input and output sides of the system. It is a further object of the present invention to prevent the compressor from being slugged so that it may receive a steady flow of refrigerant. It is a further object of the present invention to permit reclaiming to proceed rapidly even under heavy load conditions. It is a further object of the present invention to simplify the reclaiming process by reduce the number of hose connections and disconnections required over those of prior art systems. It is a further object of the present invention to improve cost and safety of operation by utilizing low pressures within the reclaiming system.